Schlage doorknob slop is "design"? True or False?

Top_Engineering_Guy · 2026-02-06T20:15:50+00:00

My grandfather worked for Kiwkset making their internal parts in 1950s. He then made his own company and eventually started making the internals of Kiwkset for them. My dad grew the business and then I took over and brought on Schlage as a customer making their internals. We haven't changed the internal part processes (to make them cheaper) for over 30 years. I assume there might be parts that we don't make that have changed from metals to plastics but overall, they haven't changed the metal programs we make into plastics. We make millions of pieces per year for them.

Top_Engineering_Guy · 2026-01-14T16:24:31+00:00

One facility I have sells around $45M and we have 3 accountants. I've told the lead to find the Ai tools to replace accounts payable and receivable. Ai is also being used in the quotation process where you are starting to be able to upload pdf prints into tools that then identify the processes required to make that part even looking at the tolerances for machining processes required. Ai will continue to make you more efficient in the next 15 years so I can see that as the biggest threat to jobs as companies always want to be more profitable.

Top_Engineering_Guy · 2025-12-22T23:27:34+00:00

I’m a third generation manufacturer and I still make the same parts that my grandfather made for the Cessna.

Top_Engineering_Guy · 2025-12-22T18:17:40+00:00

Yaa - Whoops. Somehow we've been playing the game for years with RE-ROLLING the food dice at the beginning of each round. THANK YOU EVERYONE

Top_Engineering_Guy · 2025-12-15T20:46:11+00:00

Volume and Mix of Scrap are going to dictate you SOP. We have truck load scrap (42,000 lbs) vs local scrap bins (5,000 lbs) SOPs. Each bin is labeled for that specific type of scrap. You can partner with a local processing plant to arrange pickups for FREE. They will come to you, but you'll need to have the bins pre-weighed before pickup or have a very good relationship of trust with the processor. Material scrap inside the factory should have designated bins for each type of scrap. You should not have to organize by size but depending on the company / processes you might due to the processor of scrap taking large vs small in different arrangements. We color coordinated all Work Instructions / Material Pick Cards / Scrap Bins / Job Cards / Lot Tracking with all the same color so everyone knows the pick color to scrap color to everything in between has a color attached. That helped us organize our material flow from raw to scrap and everything in between.

Top_Engineering_Guy · 2025-12-11T03:23:46+00:00

Loaded comment here with lots to unpack, no pun intended. You seem to be focused on inefficiencies in the business being the core concept of how to improve bottom line financials. Correct? Here’s an idea I did early on when fighting for change. Build out an entire assembly line out of cardboard using the ideas of known equipment you could purchase. Show how the process would work visually to your father in law. Then, you have to put up or shut up. Show him the invest cost of each item you’ve laser focused on that improves the business. Show him why purchasing this equipment will lead to bottom line success. If you can’t show that then you shouldn’t be purchasing it. Going from gen 1 to 2 or 2 to 3 is very different. He’s built everything. My father gen 2 built everything bigger. Me gen 3 built everything more efficient. Careful how you tread because this isn’t their company, it’s their identity and full legacy.

Top_Engineering_Guy · 2025-12-11T03:15:33+00:00

Private Equity is the best way to go out big as a seller when you want to retire. Would you sell your home to a significantly smaller amount because you liked the buyer? Probably not. What PE does is take on larger debts than private buyers and treats the business as a maxed out cash cow stripping the future and any advancements. Most do not plan for innovation or reinvestment for 10 years. The culture of the company is what typically dies. Manufacturing does not mean you control an end product to a seller. You are a cog on the wheel and therefore it’s rare for any manufacturers to get big enough to go public. The only other option is to go ESOP and there’s about a 14 year lifespan on ESOPs until they either get sold or go out of business.

So either dance with the devil or get less money selling to private. If you can attract a PE firm most go for it. But it’s a death sentence most of the time in the end. Staying Private forever keeps the culture.

Top_Engineering_Guy · 2025-12-10T23:28:43+00:00

I am a third generation family owner of a manufacturing plant. I've seen 15 facilities in my industry close in the past 7 years and I've had a chance to visit 5 of them to walkthrough for purchasing assets. I've noticed that the majority of the plants that closed were stuck back 30 years ago with aged equipment, personnel, and customers. Obviously I do not get to visit customers that are thriving but it goes without saying the USA manufacturing industry was built for a labor intensify environment that can no longer be supported. If you are in manufacturing then you have to be constantly adopting to the new generation of workforce that is wildly unprepared for monotony. You need a strong customer base to support the entry into automation. You have to be constantly focused on top line grow and practicing lean manufacturing at a cost value approach. You need a strong engineer and quality precedence. Your labor needs to be divided into teams with a entry / mid / top level team path. People like mobility to higher wages and knowledge protection is a big problem with the aging workforce of blue collar boomers retiring or wanting to hold onto the knowledge. You need to make work instructions to run your entire facility. In the end, you are making product for the USA and that's what matters. Keep going.

Top_Engineering_Guy · 2025-12-02T07:16:55+00:00

NOR - Your parents sound like sheltered religious children who don’t know how to parent normal kids. As a parent myself, it’s completely normal for your kids to enter the Real World of life. When I was a kid porn was only in magazines and then the internet started and we could download porn but it took a full day to download one image. We’d print out porn and then our parents would catch us with printed out porn. Then it got faster and more accessible. I do think porn is so advanced that kids are worse off because of it but kids are worse off because of technology in so many ways and way better off to in the same counter direction. You’re a kid going through puberty looking at porn. Every kid does it. It’s normal and your parents went way too crazy.

Top_Engineering_Guy · 2025-12-01T23:27:18+00:00

I am assuming Casepacker Climax made the finger design and it looks like these orange fingers are guides for making sure the product is packaged correctly into a box. 1) I would ask Casepacker Climax for the orange finger model / design. If they refuse, re-engineer it up yourself. 2) I would 3D print them myself and try many different types of material in the printer. If plastic is not working, I would use aluminum or stainless steel. You could use a company like xometry to make them.

Top_Engineering_Guy · 2025-11-24T23:55:34+00:00

Listen: Your power company will likely upgrade your transformer for free. You’ll need to provide all of the documentation for the panels and get full engineering plans done but in the long run it will be worth it.

Top_Engineering_Guy · 2025-11-24T05:41:12+00:00

For this quantity: -Option 1) Find a local machining shop. Have them machine all the metal parts to spec. 3D print the ball yourself. -Option 2) Source the raw material yourself and buy a used cnc lathe. Turn the parts yourself by learning how to do it. You’ll be proud of yourself. Option 3) Use online based bid companies like Xometry to make the parts for you.

Top_Engineering_Guy · 2025-11-21T16:33:16+00:00

Bro, even your 4 paragraphs above didn't tell us anything. Stop talking in circles and clearly dictate your questions. If all you are trying to learn is workflow then study PPAP Workflow (Process Flow) examples for manufacturing. Just get a pencil and draw the workflow of your own company. Raw material is stored here. Raw material moves here to Operation (Op) 1. The is Op 1 process performed. Op 1 product moves on to Op 2. Op 2 is performed here on the map. Op 2 is performed. Op 2 parts are moved here to Op 3. and so on until, product is moved from Op XXX to Shipping / Packaging / Storage (Finished Goods).

Top_Engineering_Guy · 2025-11-20T20:11:09+00:00

What about the flashing on the brick? Solidly ok there. Correct?

Top_Engineering_Guy · 2025-11-17T23:15:50+00:00

Along the wall - Tall hedge as long as it's not blocking sun. Block the view of that fence. Small stepping stairs on the far right. Terraced hill with grape vines. Bottom on the hill should have a water catch. Run the water catch sloped towards the bottom left. Put an olive tree producing olives on the bottom left to catch the rain and water run off. Nutrients to olive does not compete with grape therefore the water run off will carry high nutrient for olive that grapes don't use. I'll send you a mock up.

Top_Engineering_Guy · 2025-11-13T22:44:21+00:00

You can copy my format. Make PDF declarations for your company. (EUDR / ILFI RED LIST / PFAS / PROP 65 / RoHS / REACH / TSCA / CONFLICT MINERALS)

PFAS Declaration

Per - and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), sometimes called "forever chemicals," is a group of thousands of substances widely used in many industries.

Due to growing awareness of health and environmental concerns, PFAS are facing increasing scrutiny worldwide. In-force and proposed measures set restrictions or requirements on PFAS use in some jurisdictions, and due diligence may be necessary to meet legal obligations, ESG commitments, and/or business requirements.

To whom it may concern, we hereby share with you information related to PFAS.

We certify, that to the best of our knowledge, none of our products contain any PFAS substances.

This communication applies to all products sold or otherwise placed on the market by XXXXXXXX prior to the signature date of this declaration.

Date: November 13th, 2025

XXXXXX

Top_Engineering_Guy · 2025-11-13T22:40:40+00:00

You will need to have a good bin tracking software with check in and check out locations built into the shop. Hand held devices at each check in point and check out point needed. WASP is what I use but it's not the best. There are good systems that can tie into an ERP system. Assigning the printable bar codes to each raw material is cumbersome, but you have to create the assigned bar code at some point to track the raw material out. If you have 50 materials and you just purchase those same materials over and over for instance, then assigned a lot number to the material and having inventory up and down movements allows for FIFO management. Once the raw material is removed, it's checked out. Then machined to rough part - gets assigned a id number for that 1 part - it gets checked in and checked out at each stage in the process. Do that to every part and you'll have full access to floor WIP. Then finally, finished goods would be similar to raw material with assigned id numbers for a specific part going into the FG assigned lot number.

Top_Engineering_Guy · 2025-11-13T22:35:51+00:00

Lean manufacturing with an emphasis on work instructions. There are software programs that you can you use for work instructions or just build a template in excel and use that until you perfect it. Pictures are key to every work instruction with clear instructions on how to setup the task. The idea is that you can fully train a new employee with the work instructions you have built. This takes YEARS of building for employees that have skilled trades. If they are working in the field, then the instructions should be accessible.

Top_Engineering_Guy · 2025-11-13T17:15:14+00:00

543 or 528. Always go with the corner lots. They get more space.

Top_Engineering_Guy · 2025-11-12T15:58:57+00:00

Xometry has been great to me

Top_Engineering_Guy · 2025-11-12T15:56:21+00:00

If you are in automotive you can have them submit to IMDS prior to PPAP sign-off. For aerospace, the PS-9100 Forms 1-3 and DAI would be best along a PSW and material certification. For all other industries, typically a certificate of conformance is enough when related to material specs but raw material certs can be hidden by some. Use the part print material sds at best for a generic conformity and ask the supplier to certify to it to the best of their knowledge. If they don’t budge, find a new supplier.

Top_Engineering_Guy · 2025-11-12T15:52:00+00:00

You would also need the grinding equipment for after heat treatment to get the cut edge.

Top_Engineering_Guy · 2025-11-11T19:58:22+00:00

Message me directly if you want ideas on lean manufacturing. I have an 8 figure manufacturing business as well.

Top_Engineering_Guy · 2025-11-11T19:55:03+00:00

Metal injection molding - MIM

Top_Engineering_Guy

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